Pakatan Rakyat

In my last blogpost I wrote about the aspirations of UMNO founder Onn Jaafar, and how that very party as well as Barisan Nasional (BN) had failed him.

So is there any entity where Malaysians can find the aspirations of Onn Jaafar still burning? The answer is yes! The answer is yes, Malaysians can find it in the component parties of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and the very coalition itself!

PKR led by Anwar Ibrahim is well known to be a multi-racial party. The party has been championing for the helping of needy Malaysians using a needs-based system, and not a race-based system. This is to ensure that the poorest Malaysians will get help first regardless of their racial background.

It was well acknowledged by political analysts and commentators that the great leap in results achieved by PKR in 2008 from its dismal performance in 2004, was due largely to PKR’s multi-racial characteristics, which resonates with many Malaysians.

PKR have got members of many races, and unlike BN parties which are mono-ethnic. Prominent leaders other than Anwar includes Chua Jui Meng and Tian Chua.

PAS

Critics often criticize that PAS is an inflexible Islamist party only bent in creating an Islamic state. However, based on facts, PAS is also embracing multi-racialism and multi-culturalism. It is definitely not a mono-ethnic party.

In this election, PAS has for the first time fielded 2 Iban candidates in Sarawak – a first for the party! PAS also announced yesterday that they will be fielding 2 non Malay candidates for the coming elections. And it is understood that at least 2 more non Malay candidates will be announced soon.

Obviously this in contrary to what critics said that PAS is an inflexible Islamist party. Can anyone see UMNO fielding non Malay candidates?

DAP

BN leaders always label DAP as a Chinese chauvinistic party. Some even went on to accuse it of being a racist party!

Is this really so? There again, unlike the BN parties, DAP is not a mono-ethnic party. Up to 30% of its members are non Chinese. And there are also prominent non Chinese leaders – Karpal Singh and his son Gobind Singh Deo. Others include Zairil Khir Johari, whose dad was a former education minister of Malaysia.

Historical records also showed that DAP had fielded non Chinese candidates who won elections.

Can people see BN parties like MCA fielding non Chinese as candidates, or having non Chinese as leaders.

A true Multi-racial coalition

All the component parties of PR are non mono-ethic parties, and they boost of multi-racial and multi-cultural elements amongst their own parties. So when all of them come together as PR, what Malaysians get is a truly multi-racial coalition, very unlike what the Barisan Nasional presents to Malaysians.

This is a coalition where all Malaysians truly come and work together. This is not a coalition where each racial group form their own “kingdom” and only come together for convenience.

This is the coalition where Malaysians can see the aspirations of Onn Jaafar still burning, and burning ever stronger!